"Aiyah! Kena saman again!"
There is more to weddings than just the 'angpows'.
It's always about how much they have to give in their 'angpows' and never the fact that
the weds to-be is inviting you to celebrate a joyous occasion with them. We really need to
correct this perception. After all, an 'angpow' is a gift. And if it is a gift - give it
sincerely.
Which brings us to the topic of how much should you put inside an 'angpow'. There are no
real rules on this yet. So, we did some 'corridor research' on the topic on how people
decide how much they put inside the 'angpow'.
- Where is the dinner held? If it is in a hotel, then usually
they will give more. It's based on the principle that they do not want the couple to
'lose'.
- How close you know the weds to-be & family? The closer
you are the more you will give.
- How well-off are they? If they are not so well-off,
generally the 'angpows' will be bigger. Some altruism involved here.
- What's the market price? We call it the "follow the
crowd" principle.
- When is it held? This is a weird one, though not unheard of.
If it is around the lunar calendar's eighth month where there are more weddings the
'angpows' tend to 'shrink'.
What do we recommend? We do not have any recommendations
only this to say - you should be happy and honoured that you are invited to celebrate a
joyous occasion - be it by the couple themselves or their parents. An 'angpow' is merely a
gift. Give it sincerely. There's no need to find out the 'market price' or where it is
held. Giving your 'angpow' within your capability and from your heart is what you should
expect of yourself. And sealing it with all your blessings is all that the newly weds ask
of you. |
